The Good Courage Podcast

If the law doesn't make us right with God, then what's the point? What do we DO? We'll take a look at a beautiful list of the way we live as God's kids in Romans 12 and even throw some burning coals on heads. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Be Still by Aisea Taimani: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5NvSQC8nd0lznCwDWgG0Pv?si=aYDRVQaPRIasWWmJHXa-sA Rising Appalchia: https://www.risingappalachia.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/p/CykM_V0MD1N/

I'm working on the next episode of The Good Courage Podcast and it should be out next week, however while you wait, here is a re-edited version of the developmental faith podcast, the most popular podcast on the feed. Enjoy! Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws City of God by Chris Freeman:

It's a fun text to get to know the Gospel of John and how it works. Full of snarky comments, fun anecdotes, spit and mud, and remembering to just share what you know. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Waiting by Jalen Seawright w/Nikki Holguin https://commonhymnal.com/songs/waiting Citizens by John Guerra: https://open.spotify.com/track/216VrH1pVtArk8lilJJQih?si=23456fd878044852

There is one little line in the gospel of Mark that shows us what it means to trust when things seem like they are in the wilderness. In this podcast we explore Mark 1 and what this tells us about moving from captivity into freedom, death to life, and changing our mind and soul as people moving toward faith. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws https://commonhymnal.com/ Rise by Justin Gray: https://commonhymnal.com/songs/rise Swallowing Water You Walked On by Half-Handed Cloud: https://open.spotify.com/track/7pCQ0bvqUCOif7EwWSdXg0?si=fa502d2221e94aa0 Alternative Christ Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/74dS4zOq8AXxpVCXJA1Gu5?si=a5c37711b1aa48ba

Psalm 23 is one of those songs that we only use at funerals. It is far bigger, wider, and interesting than just being a sweet, treacly poem we read to ourselves to make ourselves feel better. In this text, we'll hear about redemption, restoration, pursuing love, and just what we mean by the valley of the shadow of death (spoiler alert, it's completely wrong)

Let's look at another story from the Hebrew scriptures, the burning bush! We'll walk with Moses as he asks the questions we all ask ourselves. We'll remember signs are all around us, we can't do this alone, and we are the ones we are looking for. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws https://commonhymnal.com/ https://commonhymnal.com/james-paek Start Again (Living Room) by James Paek feat. Fatai and Noah Ruben: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDbJK2sbclY Start Again by James Paek: https://open.spotify.com/track/5Ry2PLL01YfcO12r4NfT15?si=22d27577787446d6 Here I am by Gungor: https://open.spotify.com/track/4h3sr4jF6sWF4FDmBQMTvj?si=a0c49df5109d41e9

For the next few weeks, I will be looking at some of my favorite stories from the sacred texts. I love me some minor prophetsts, so I'm starting with one of my favorites, Amos. As you hear, I get so excited that we have to go ahead and break it into two parts so in this first one you'll hear the first 5 chapters and Amos' passion for the poor and oppressed and crying out for the lack of justice and righteousness. We'll be talking about fishhooks, pieces of an ear, and getting bit by a snake. FUN! Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws All the Poor and Powerless, recorded by the Digital Age: https://open.spotify.com/track/6suY36J8iOMuTysLAJaOBQ?si=9d9f4aaaa97c4422 All the Poor and Powerless, written by All Sons and Daughters: https://open.spotify.com/track/3Nby7PH0S2jJpwDMRkIfcb?si=9e3b062321644266 Praying for Time by George Michael: https://open.spotify.com/track/6yLZc9Tmei7eDX4Z62x4bW?si=612e58294ff84d1c

In this episode I take a look at a story from the New Testament (Matthew 16: 13-27) and look at the subtle messages within and without about how Peter gets a name change to Simon and then to Satan, and how actually this is good news to the rest of us. We talk about the church is both a beauty and a monster and this is also good news. At the end I get real honest about my experience with the movie, Barbie, and how the call to transform means we deny ourselves and die to what holds us back from the vision of God. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Dear Friends (#elbowrooms) by Elbow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azsIVY1VrWg

I wandered into the social media realm this week to listen and learn what's going on. I commented on posts, shared posts, and asked questions. Here are some things I learned on being a progressive Christian, being woke, on how we view scripture, and why people leave the church. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Chris Freeman: https://open.spotify.com/album/4PgsnwZ1VAYnuisgjSwJ5H?si=XBL3SV1ZR02s03nOfO3G3w Semler: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1UPqLSmKOY8Ld8LoAuNA5g?si=kuQrEcEzTyGC4jXuTz2ibA

For some, fear has been used to weaponize Christianity and put people in fear for their life and soul. But there are verses that talk about the fear of the Lord. What does this even mean? Does this mean that we're supposed to be afraid of God? Or is there something deeper going on? Listen to this podcast where we break down what it means to allow perfect love to cast out fear, and to be in all of the divine life. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws The Brilliance: https://open.spotify.com/artist/26nltVmOVeIfYmwcmqTm7e?si=S2r1BgU2RCyrnxDgPC02Kw Bifrost Arts: https://open.spotify.com/artist/19YqJFv1Z3IYLdTzMe3f7J?si=gDc1nqKHTa6CCGOmw2foCw

I'm heading out on vacation so we're gonna take a few weeks away from the podcast. Can you do me a favor? Go ahead and like and subscribe and write a review of this podcast if it means anything to you whatsoever. It truly does make a big difference.

We are in an interesting season of the church. The pandemic has sped up the decline of religious communities across the western European North American landscape. Perhaps this is a good thing. What we might want to do is to work out the problem and try to go back to where we came from but perhaps we are in a season of pruning and instead we are called to wait for the movement of the divine to show us what is next. In this podcast will look at John 15, vines, Moravians, how hard it is to be an Enneagram seven, and listen to the end where I have my own personal revelation. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws God I wait by Agents of Future: https://agentsoffuture.bandcamp.com/track/god-i-wait Vine and Branches by John Gregorious: https://open.spotify.com/track/0OmyRIXwHLNg6HIzMCiZ72?si=739a4d9194dd4af6

Hey there! Busy week so I was not able to bring a new podcast into the world so here is something from the way back machine (2008) at a youth event I was speaking at about encouraging these here youngsters to dare to be brave.

This week I share some milestones in my faith journey. Milestones are little moment that we can reflect on and ponder what they taught us. These include some older dudes who prayed with me as a kid in a way I had never been prayed for before, a moment of magic with my band that resulted in my reflecting on some super humans, and then some vulnerability on my behalf sharing about the passing of my dad. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Pass it On sung by Endless Praise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5kVhKgeBfM Only Yesterday by The Carpenters: https://open.spotify.com/track/6pVLgwDRTCORcbn5czge5R?si=f745bcd00325481d

Hey there, listener! You've asked, and here I answer. I've had some good feedback from people from the quality of the podcast to theological questions to questions of what to do with families who disagree. Here I share my not-always-so-wise answers, and hope that in the middle of all this there is some semblance of articulation. Perhaps even a blind pig can find an acorn. I also get a little passionate so there's that. Thanks to all of you who took their time to reach out to me. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Light of the World by Jennifer Knapp: https://open.spotify.com/track/7bjdnvLA4rD8DwbrzxTgpx?si=4cbc12ab60174949

It's a tough scripture text, Matthew 10: 24-39. Jesus shares that his teaching may not always bring people together but may separate people, even people closest to us. The way of the Christ may ask us to go against what our parents taught, friends support, political party platform, or personal agenda. Disagreeing with strangers is one thing. Disagreeing with family can be much, much tougher. In this podcast I walk us through what it means to make our lives about people instead of issues and how this might mean we have to disagree with those we love. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws

In this short podcast, I share a few thoughts on one of my favorite texts, Paul's letter to the Romans, in chapter 5, where he talks about boasting in suffering. So many critiques of God are based on the idea that God is some sort of omnipotent, holy goalie, whose job is to manipulate the world so that we have no suffering. Instead of our God is a God, who allows the world to be, and simply is present with us, and good days and bad, and the fun of things, and even in our suffering. When we embrace suffering, we can see there is a path to hope. email: [email protected]

In this part three of our Holy Spirit and spiritual life series, we look at prayer and what it is we are doing when we say we are praying. In this episode, Jay shares three ways in which he uses, wrote prayers, the Lord's, prayer, and centering prayer to focus on the divine presence. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Jonathan Rundman: https://open.spotify.com/track/7hVFAamcTVvjPOW5wuPrIW?si=c5f4ca593d6b4426 Jon Foreman, "Your Love is Strong": https://open.spotify.com/track/5ZmzH1JqTrBJ9rckQXZVlY?si=ff06459427ae44ba

This is the second of our three part series exploring the Holy Spirit as the presence of God and how we seek this in our worship and our prayer. In this episode we explore what we're doing when we were ship and what it looks like to practice the presence of the divine. We'll talk about hymns we hate, letting go of our inner critic, and figuring out how to be more curious than judgmental. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Wayfaring Stranger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dL4AVKA6tM John Gregorious: https://open.spotify.com/track/2KxiIWJwJ3kYkCm7Vn0NrV?si=68fb2075b306409a

In the next few episodes were going to take a look at the Holy Spirit, Worship, and prayer. Essentially, what in the heck are these things.  In this episode we take a look at the Holy Spirit. Is the spirit a what or who? Is the spirit doing something or is it just a bad burrito? How do I know it's God and not a neurochemical response? Honestly we don't really come to the end of all these questions, but here are some thoughts and perhaps some new ways of thinking. I'll share a personal story that we can ponder along asking, "What do we do with these experiences?" Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Everything Stays: https://open.spotify.com/track/2jnOUdpaFKr9koG1Vtbj6v?si=a8c4817eec384ec2

Being in nature has profound effects emotionally and mentally but is also a place to engage our spirituality. For years the western mindset pooh poohed an engagement with nature and creation as at best too woo-woo and at worst heretical. But a new movement is emerging where people are rediscovering the creation as a source of peace as well as wisdom. Jesus spent most of his time outdoors and taught using examples directly from creation. When did we stop listening? In this podcast I break down some practices by friend, Matt Syrdal, that have been passed to me and I pass on here. Matt Syrdal Website and Podcast: https://www.mythicchrist.com/ Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Creation Liturgy by Aaron Niequist: https://store.anewliturgy.com/album/no-4-creation Hallowell/Bifrost Arts: https://bifrostartsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/hallowell-2

It's the joke people laugh at but no one gets, Post Modernism. In this episode I take a swing at just what this era is and what it means to discuss life, faith and goths in Uzbekistan. Lots and lots here to absorb and think about so... you know... do your best. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Ngozi Family: https://open.spotify.com/artist/60Ec3tL0Z85Jp3f2CTUUu3 Gocha Abuladze: https://www.facebook.com/gocha.baritone/

In this episode we take a look at the parable of Jonah and discover that it is far more than whales. We'll talk about what happens when you spend more time worrying about whether something happened and instead focus on what the story is trying to tell us. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Soft Like Fire by Chris Freeman: https://open.spotify.com/track/2dSvvbX5JI6h21AFlZRbob?si=7542227266594787

Mythos is a story that tells us a truth about something. They are the stories a community tells themselves they norm around. In this podcast we look into the stories around God that tell us about who we are and our relationship to the divine. We help dispel a little bit of the slippery slope fallacy, change names midstream, and try to get our heads wrapped around just what God is doing in the universe. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Simply Enough by Justin Rimbo: https://www.reverbnation.com/jacobsporch/song/11734524-simply-enough Return by Jay Gamelin: https://www.reverbnation.com/jacobsporch/song/2451185-return

We recently discussed doubt in episode 6, so why not hear what it sounds like to preach on this message? In this episode I preach on the story of courageous Thomas and encourage my church community to embrace doubt and step out in faith as we work toward creating an inclusive nature-based preschool for neurotypical and neuroatypical children. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws

Did anyone ever tell you good news but it didn't sound like good news? Yeah, me too. How often has we've seen religion used to hurt and harm? It's this picture of God who is "love", yet if you don't do all the things then this God will condemn you to torture. If someone says they love you but they don't love you back they will kill you, well, that's not a person of love, that's a psychopath. Where does this message of a psychopathic God come from? We get to the bottom of Zeus, Google forms, parenting, and the good news of Jesus that actually sounds like good news. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Mukteshwar by Aradhna: https://aradhna.bandcamp.com/track/mukteshwar Translation of Lyrics: Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercyThose who are poor in this worldBlessed are they, blessed are theyFor the kingdom of heaven is theirsBlessed are they, blessed are theyThey who mourn in this world, will have peaceThe meek in this world, will ruleBlessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercyThose whose hearts are pure in this world will see GodThose who make peace will be called the children of God Praise! Praise! Praise!

Ever get tired of trying so hard to be "Christian" but you can't help but feel like you just aren't there? Welcome to the club! Maybe we should let go of performative faith and instead embrace the journey, the ups and downs everyone experiences. In this podcast we talk about anesthesia, poop and ice cream, the yellow brick road, and more. Email: [email protected] When You Go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Moanin' by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: https://open.spotify.com/track/4Vkk3iD1VrENHJEACNddvt?si=ed09d36671bb4c11

In a previous podcast we talked about how important it is to do the spiritual life in community. But, community can be hard.  How do we manage all the different thoughts and points of view while maintaining a sense of connectedness? How does one maintain unity without tripping into uniformity? In this podcast we share one possibility of a way forward, the way of Humility, Vulnerability, and Dignity. When you go by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws I'm Not Fine by The Welcome Wagon: https://thewelcomewagon.bandcamp.com/track/im-not-fine The Snow Plow Snow Pusher: https://a.co/d/8HWVCCD

If we're really honest with ourselves, we're not designed to do our life by our lonesome. Whether you are speaking of your physical and social life, or even your spiritual life, we need others to help us grow and thrive. In this podcast, I share three stories of different communities that helped strengthen, and clarify my spiritual walk. Theme by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Extra Music by Hammock: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0VOR7Ie9xUSb45fzIIVJQ1?si=EpO_-KTERSCfN6JIiCuC7A

What does it mean that our faith evolves? What does it look like to see our faith move through developmental stages? Are we allowed to move beyond what we knew before so that we can grow into what is ahead? In this podcast we take a look at many different experts and their understanding of how we develop in our faith and grow, just as we do from children into adults. We also explore the peril of what happens if we don't evolve and give ourselves permission to grow and thrive. Theme by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws Music by Chris Freeman: https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0016HMOFK?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_19P7e5KnzhU0mEsguqPuruknB For an icon to help see this development click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BJzEooG1hK1dqrLK0CXkIrLd-S4Mdjxt/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, we take a look at buttes, fleshpots, watercolor, and wondering what to do when you can't stay here. We launch this podcast off, understanding where good courage comes from and what it looks like to step into spaces you've never been before. Theme by Matt Fagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trrbLzLBVws